1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention lies within the diving equipment art. In particular, it resides within the buoyancy compensation art and more specifically, in the field of providing flotation to a diver with proper buoyancy compensation concommitant with the filling of the buoyancy compensator from a source of gas.
2. The Prior Art
The prior art related to buoyancy compensators, flotation devices, and means for filling such devices, incorporated a myriad of devices.
Initially, flotation devices for divers were generally of the aviator inflatable life jacket types, originally termed a Mae West. Such life jackets were usually formed of a canvas or duck type of material with a rubberized liner. The inflation of the devices such as the aviator life jacket, was accomplished in one of two ways. Firstly, an emergency means was generally provided by means of a gas cartridge, such as a CO.sub.2 cartridge. The CO.sub.2 cartridge was connected to the jacket in order to allow the discharge of gas thereinto after it had been punctured.
A second means of inflating the vest which was sometimes in combination or in singular form therewith, was in the form of a tubular oral inflator. The oral inflator incorporated valving means in different forms.
Since the time of the development of self contained underwater breathing apparatus and diving in general, the flotation devices of the prior art have been extensively developed. Initial utilization of life jackets by the diving profession was for safety purposes only. As time went on, they evolved into use for buoyancy compensation purposes.
Specifically, when a diver partakes in a dive, he uses weights and other various buoyancy offsetting and compensating means. In particular, waist belts are utilized in order to give a diver a certain degree of ability to overcome his positive buoyancy in his body as well as the cellular structure of his wetsuit.
In the past, it has been found that an ability to adjust one's buoyancy by various amounts of positively displacing gas is helpful. In particular, a diver in order to maintain a comfortable level, will oftentimes inflate a buoyancy compensator in order to trim his particular attitude and depth.
As time has evolved various forms of prior art buoyancy compensators, one thing has remained in common with all of them. This is the requirement for inflation in a facile and easy manner. Various means have been utilized, such as oral inflation means, low pressure gas from the diver's breathing gas supply, as well as emergency gas supply means in the form of CO.sub.2 cartridges.
In addition to the foregoing design features, there have been a substantial number of relief valves and valves that are utilized to adjust the buoyancy compensator. In particular, relief valves in the form of overpressure valves and hand operated valves, are incorporated for purposes of relieving internal pressure.
Throughout all the foregoing developments however, there has usually been a requirement of maintaining a degree of displacement balance by the buoyancy compensator which was never accomplished. A balance between the flotation or positive buoyancy provided by the prior art buoyancy compensators could not be maintained by virtue of the fact that they usually fit on the front or the back of a diver.
The respective utilization of the front or back mounted buoyancy compensators did not allow for overall trimming of the diver's buoyancy for proper attitude control. This invention incorporates the novel feature of dual displacement at the front and back of a diver in order to provide for maintenance of buoyancy with respect to both the frontal and rear portions of a diver's torso.
In effect, the buoyancy in the water could be controlled. However, the desired rotational moment of the diver could not be controlled. A main feature of this invention is the configuration of the flotation cell both on the back and around the chest of the diver to allow for a positive turning moment of the complete compensator. This feature allows the equipment to possess the best features of a front and back compensator while eliminating adverse effects of both of these types of previously marketed equipment.
In some cases, a back-mounted compensator is preferred since it is easier for the diver to don and doff. This results in less cumbersome and complicated strapping arrangement around the diver's chest and torso. It also places the flotation cell at the diver's back so as to not create an uncomfortable upward pressure around the diver's neck or abdominal area during usage. However, the disadvantage of the back-mounted compensator is that it tends to place the diver in either a face-up or face-down position depending upon his orientation when he breaks the water's surface on ascent. If the diver is in a face-up condition, the lift at the diver's back can easily flip him to a face down condition. If he reaches the surface in a face-down condition, it is difficult for the diver to turn himself in a face-up orientation without first partially deflating a back-mounted compensator.
The front-mounted compensator has the advantage of being a basically safer type unit especially for an unconscious emergency type of an ascent in that it places the diver in a face-up head-out-of-the water position automatically when on the surface. The drawback to the front-mounted compensator is the additional strapping around a diver's waist and crotch which may interfere with his weight belt and backpack harnesses. Also, such units are uncomfortable on the diver's abdominal area and around the diver's neck when the compensator is fully inflated and the diver is on the surface, thereby restricting breathing.
Another important factor related to the prior art was that buoyancy compensators were usually used extrinsic to a backpack on which a cylinder of breathing gas was mounted. This invention incorporates the utilization of a buoyancy compensator for purposes of providing inherent combined backpack and buoyancy compensation functions. Also, the prior art usually incorporated shoulder harnesses and chest harnesses for securing the backpack to a diver. The chest and shoulder harnesses were particularly uncomfortable and served to ride into both the armpit area, as well as on top of the shoulder.
This invention overcomes the foregoing uncomfortable nature of the prior art harnesses by utilizing the buoyancy compensator as a support means. The buoyancy compensator forms a portion of the shoulder harness, so that the pneumatic relationship thereof causes the weight of the gas cylinder and backpack to be associated with the buoyancy compensator and loaded thereon. The buoyancy compensator even without inflation spreads the load more evenly across a diver's shoulders.
When the buoyancy compensator upon which the load is impressed upon a diver's shoulder is incorporated with the harness of this invention, it provides a comfortable and downward pull of the entire self contained underwater breathing apparatus. Thus, a comfortable and desirable loading is maintained in contradistinction to the prior art which provided a binding and gripping feeling to the shoulders and chest area.
The features that were particularly cumbersome and wasteful of breathing gas in the prior art with regard to filling a buoyancy compensator, evolved out of the low pressure filling system. This was due to the use of exhaust being difficult with existing oral inflation devices, thus requiring the use of good air to inflate the bag. Such low pressure filling systems incorporated tubular extensions from the low pressure side of a regulator to an oral inflation device or bag inflation device. The low pressure inflation device was usually in the form of a socket or tubular insertion member attached to the buoyancy compensator. The socket provided for an insertion and locking of a tubular extension from the low pressure side of the regulator for purposes of valving gas therefrom into the buoyancy compensator. The valving was caused by either the opening of a shrader valve or the opening of an alternative valving system of the socket or low pressure inflating fixture.
This invention overcomes the foregoing requirements by incorporating a completely different low pressure inflating system that can be attached to or fabricated as an integral part of a second stage regulator for exhaust gas inflation or low pressure inflation from a tubular member connected to the low pressure side of the first stage regulator.
A particularly important factor of the prior art was to have overpressure relief valve means, as well as means for manually changing the volume. The net result was to dump the gas at a given bladder pressure either through automatic poppet valve pressure relief means, or by a manually articulated valve. The manually articulated valve was utilized as a dumping valve for dumping gas to change the amount of flotation or positive buoyancy.
This invention overcomes the foregoing requirement by having a combination valve and relief system incorporated in the invention hereof. It also incorporates an alternative dump valve which is manually articulated through a draw string as shown in an alternative embodiment hereof.
Another feature of the invention that solves prior art oral inflation is the utilization of the second stage regulator exhaust air for filling purposes. The invention conducts the second stage exhaust gas from an exhaust mode into a mode whereby the exhaust gas fills the buoyancy compensator. In this manner, exhaust breathing gas is not wasted and can be used to control and fill the buoyancy compensator on an extended basis without depleting one's breathable gas. This is a very important feature when one considers that the ability of a diver to maintain himself under water is predicated upon his gas supply. Thus, any utilization of a diver's gas supply for flotation purposes is a relatively second priority relationship to gas for breathing purposes. As a consequence, this invention finds great utility in capturing gas and incorporating it as filling gas for a buoyancy compensator.
In addition to the foregoing feature of capturing the exhaust breathing gas, the apparatus attached to the second stage regulator can also be used for valving low pressure gas directly to the buoyancy compensator. The system also enables one to vary the amount of gas in two respective bladders.
The invention incorporates two pull cords which provide for pressure control of the bladder or respective dual bladders, to create a situation wherein various amounts of gas can be conducted into the bladder or bladders. The amount of gas can then be trimmed in accordance with a diver's requirements for buoyancy by merely changing the amount of air in the front or the back bladder by pulling on a string or cord.
From the foregoing, it can be seen that this invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art by providing for a combination buoyancy compensator which has the ability to provide positive buoyancy to the front and the back of a diver's torso. The buoyancy compensator has the built-in feature of supporting a breathing gas tank and attendant equipment on a diver's back with the backpack thereof being supported in part by the buoyancy compensator over the shoulders of a diver. The buoyancy compensator specifically has the ability to spread the load over a diver's shoulders and provide for an additional pneumatic cushioning of the backpack thereon. Additionally, the buoyancy compensator has a harness that holds the compensator downwardly. This effectuates a downward pull of the entire load to avoid binding on a user's underarms by the harness.
The buoyancy compensator incorporates a dump valve, oral inflator and emergency inflation means along with a low pressure inflator. Also, a single device allows for the conduction of exhaust gas from the second stage regulator to the buoyancy compensator, so that low pressure gas requirements are cut down, as well as providing definitive control of the gas in the bladder.
As can further be seen, a most important feature of this invention is the configuration of the buoyancy compensator bladders. It fundamentally allows a positive turning moment to a diver, so that he is placed in a head-up position without utilizing the uncomfortable solely front mounted buoyancy compensator configuration.
As a consequence, this invention overcomes the deficiencies of the prior art in a multitude of areas.